Bryan and I celebrated our birthdays with a lunch at e'cco, a restaurant I have been wanting to visit since we moved to Brisbane.

I've been making the most of autumn fruits with pomegranate juice for breakfast.

................ and I've been doing a little cooking with pumpkin from my friend Bernie's garden.

I made cultured butter. This is so easy and unbelievably good. Just add a couple of tablespoons of plain yogurt to 600ml cream. Rest in fridge for 24 hours then proceed with usual method for making butter.

Finally my favourite lunch this week is my warm beetroot salad.

Beets, or as we in Australia call them - beetroot. Love them or hate them? I love them. Sweet tasting early in the season and slightly earthy tasting as the season progresses.

WARM BEET SALAD WITH FETA

INGREDIENTS (base quantities on number of people being served)

fresh beetroot (1 beet per person is sufficient)

feta cheese

parsley

red chili (optional), sliced

olive oil

lemon juice

salt and pepper to season

METHOD

preheat oven to 180 C (350F)

wrap beetroot in al-foil and bake in oven until soft, about 45 - 60 minutes

remove from oven and cool a little

rub skin off (wear gloves to avoid staining hands)

cut beetroot into eighths and place in a bowl

drizzle with oil and lemon juice, a few grindings of salt and pepper and mix to cover

Bryan and I celebrated our birthdays with a lunch at e'cco, a restaurant I have been wanting to visit since we moved to Brisbane.

I've been making the most of autumn fruits with pomegranate juice for breakfast.

................ and I've been doing a little cooking with pumpkin from my friend Bernie's garden.

I made cultured butter. This is so easy and unbelievably good. Just add a couple of tablespoons of plain yogurt to 600ml cream. Rest in fridge for 24 hours then proceed with usual method for making butter.

Finally my favourite lunch this week is my warm beetroot salad.

Beets, or as we in Australia call them - beetroot. Love them or hate them? I love them. Sweet tasting early in the season and slightly earthy tasting as the season progresses.

WARM BEET SALAD WITH FETA

INGREDIENTS (base quantities on number of people being served)

fresh beetroot (1 beet per person is sufficient)

feta cheese

parsley

red chili (optional), sliced

olive oil

lemon juice

salt and pepper to season

METHOD

preheat oven to 180 C (350F)

wrap beetroot in al-foil and bake in oven until soft, about 45 - 60 minutes

remove from oven and cool a little

rub skin off (wear gloves to avoid staining hands)

cut beetroot into eighths and place in a bowl

drizzle with oil and lemon juice, a few grindings of salt and pepper and mix to cover